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That's My Boy (2012 film)
| cinematography = Brandon Trost | editing = Tom Costain | music = Rupert Gregson-Williams | studio = Happy Madison Productions Relativity Media | distributor = Columbia Pictures | released = | runtime = 114 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $70 million | gross = $57.7 million }} That's My Boy is a 2012 American satirical dark comedy film directed by Sean Anders and starring Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg. The film is about an alcoholic slacker named Donny Berger (Sandler) who fathered a son (Samberg) with his school teacher as a teenager. Donny owes $43,000 in back taxes and will have to serve a three-year sentence in prison if he does not pay it off by the end of the weekend, which happens to be his son's wedding weekend. It was released on June 15, 2012 by Columbia Pictures and was a critical and financial failure, grossing just $57 million against a $70 million budget. Plot In 1984, middle school student Donny Berger is in detention and begins a sexual relationship with his teacher, Mary McGarricle. When this relationship is discovered, she is sentenced to a maximum penalty prison term of 30 years, where she is revealed pregnant. Custody of the unborn child is given to Donny's abusive father until Donny turns 18 to assume full custody. In 2012, Donny is a broke, alcoholic slacker who spends his time with his friends, local drunk Kenny, bartender Brie and her stripper mother Champale. Donny is now estranged from his son Han Solo who, embarrassed by his parents' scandalous past and also Donny's immaturity, has changed his name to Todd Peterson to avoid discovery of his parentage. Todd, a successful businessman, has recently arrived at the Cape Cod house of his boss, where he is to marry his fiancée, Jamie Martin. Donny learns from his lawyer, Jim Nance, that he owes $43,000 to the IRS in back-taxes and will be imprisoned for three years if he doesn't repay the money by the end of the weekend. However, Nance has him place a $20 bet on an 8000:1 contestant named Tubby Tuke in the following Monday's Boston Marathon. In spite of this, Donny realizes that he may need a back-up plan should Tubby Tuke lose. He visits TV producer Randall Morgan, who had produced shows for Donny during his brief period of celebrity, and Morgan offers him $50,000 if he can organize a reunion with Todd and Mary at the women's prison. Donny arrives at Cape Cod to try to convince Todd to participate. Todd had previously told people his parents were dead, so he introduces Donny as an old friend. Donny quickly becomes well-liked by the others, much to the chagrin of Todd and at the expense of his popularity. Donny tries to convince Todd to see his mother at the women's prison, without revealing that it is for a TV show, but he refuses. Todd fights constantly with Donny about his father's immaturity. Donny admits his mistake by revealing he was young and didn't know how to be a father since his own never taught him how. Todd eventually imitates his father's behavior, including engaging in a fight with Father McNally, cancelling the church rehearsal. Before Jamie's family could blame Todd, Donny saves him by convincing his future in-laws to have the wedding rehearsal away from churches because Todd is still going through a tragedy from one that killed his parents. Donny joins Todd and his friends at Todd's bachelor party, a relaxing day at a spa. However, Donny convinces the guys to attend a strip club where over the course of the night, Todd eventually agrees to meet his mother at the women's prison. Donny, knowing a TV crew will be there tries to stop the meeting, but Todd goes anyway. As Mary, Donny, and Todd have a personal moment with each other, they are ambushed by Randall Morgan's TV crew, forcing a disgusted Todd to leave without signing a release form, leaving Donny without any money. Donny overhears Jamie on the phone with Todd's boss, Steve Spirou, having a conversation that implies they've been sleeping together behind Todd's back. He tries to warn Todd, but Jamie comes up with a convincing cover story that fools Todd. With some encouragement from Kenny, Donny attempts to patch things up with Jamie, but instead discovers her with her brother Chad having sex at a hotel room. Realizing that she could lose Todd if Donny tells him about her sexual affair with both Chad and Steve, she gives him a $50,000 check in order to keep him quiet. Despite Jamie's hush money, Donny has to stop the wedding. With the help of Vanilla Ice, his friend from his celebrity days, they make it to the wedding in time. Donny reveals himself to be Todd's father, rips up Jamie's check and forces her to admit her actions behind Todd's back. Todd breaks up with Jamie, accepts Donny as his father, and takes back his birth name of Han Solo Berger. At the strip club the following day, Han reveals himself to be dating Brie and offers Donny the money to pay for his unpaid taxes. Donny turns down the offer, accepting it's time for him to take responsibility for his actions. He prepares to go to prison to rekindle his relationship with Mary after his term is over, but the bet he placed on Tubby Tuke wins him $160,000, keeping him out of prison. Cast * Adam Sandler as Donald "Donny" Berger. ** Justin Weaver as 1984 Donny Berger ** Ian Ziering as TV Donny * Andy Samberg as Todd Peterson / Han Solo Berger, Donny and Mary's biological son * Leighton Meester as Jamie Martin, Todd's fiancée * Susan Sarandon as Mary Beth McGarricle, Donny's middle school teacher and Todd's mother ** Eva Amurri Martino as 1984 Mary McGarricle. Martino is Sarandon's real-life daughter * Ciara as Brie, a bartender and Donny's friend, Todd's secondary love interest * Luenell as Champale, a stripper and Brie's mother * Vanilla Ice as Himself, Donny's best friend * Milo Ventimiglia as Chad Martin, Jamie's younger brother * Rex Ryan as Jim Nance * Peggy Stewart as Grandma Delores, Steve's mother * Tony Orlando as Steve Spirou, Todd's boss * Alan Thicke as Donny's Father on TV * James Caan as Father McNally * Dan Patrick as Randall Morgan * Will Forte as Phil * Rachel Dratch as Phil's Wife * Abdoulaye N'Gom as Father Shakalu * Blake Clark as Gerald Martin, Jamie and Chad's father * Meagen Fay as Helen Martin, Jamie and Chad's mother * Colin Quinn as Strip Club DJ * Nick Swardson as Kenny * Ana Gasteyer as Mrs. Ravensdale * Todd Bridges as Himself * Baron Davis as Gym Teacher * Dennis Dugan as School Janitor * Jackie Sandler (Sandler's real-life wife) as Masseuse * Brad Grunberg as Tubby Tuke * Peter Dante as Dante Spirou, Steve's son Production The film was originally titled I Hate You, Dad, and then changed to Donny's Boy before the producers finally settled on That's My Boy. Filming began on May 2, 2011 and ended on July 15, 2011. Release Box office The film opened on June 15, 2012 grossing $13,453,714 in its opening weekend, ranking #4 behind the second weekends of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Prometheus, and the opening of Rock of Ages. The film grossed $36,931,089 domestically and $57,719,093 worldwide and failing to recoup its $70 million budget, making it a financial failure. This was Sandler's third box office failure, with the other two being Little Nicky, Punch-Drunk Love. Critical reception On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 20% based on 113 reviews, with an average rating of 3.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "While it does represent a new foray into raunch for the normally PG-13 Sandler, ''That's My Boy finds him repeating himself to diminishing effect – and dragging Andy Samberg down with him." On Metacritic the film has a normalized score of 31 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Mary Kay Letourneau's teen lover-turned-husband: Adam Sandler's movie is about us! Dailymail.co.uk (June 22, 2012). Retrieved on August 15, 2012. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A to F scale. Justin Chang of Variety called it "a shameless celebration of degenerate behavior, a work of relentless vulgarity and staggering moral idiocy." Alonso Duralde gave the film a scathing review, calling it "vulgar, trite, sexist, misogynist, hacky, tacky, gross, sentimental and stupid, with occasional flourishes of racism and veiled homophobia thrown in to boot." Online review show Half in the Bag called the film "pathetic" and "painful", and went on to criticize Sandler as a comic, suggesting he was unable to create humor that was not based on childish jokes.Half in the Bag: ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER and THAT'S MY BOY redlettermedia.com (July 28, 2012). Retrieved on August 26, 2012. The film was criticized for making light of statutory rape, incest and child neglect. Home media The film was released to DVD and Blu-Ray on October 16, 2012 by Sony Pictures. Accolades See also * List of films considered the worst References External links * * * * * Category:2012 films Category:2010s black comedy films Category:2010s sex comedy films Category:American black comedy films Category:American sex comedy films Category:American films Category:English-language films Category:Films about alcoholism Category:Films about dysfunctional families Category:Films about teacher–student relationships Category:Films set in 1984 Category:Films set in 2012 Category:Films set in Massachusetts Category:Films shot in Massachusetts Category:Incest in film Category:Juvenile sexuality in films Category:Relativity Media films Category:Happy Madison films Category:Columbia Pictures films Category:Films directed by Sean Anders Category:Films produced by Adam Sandler Category:Films produced by Allen Covert Category:Films produced by Jack Giarraputo Category:Fictional portrayals of the Boston Police Department Category:Film scores by Rupert Gregson-Williams